When a company files paperwork with the FCC, it’s allowed to request that certain information remain confidential, either for a set period of time, or indefinitely. Usually, that’s enough to give us some radio data right from the get-go, but the juicier stuff – like images of actual hardware – are held back to give the manufacturer time to actually launch its product while keeping any secrets intact.

Here we are six months later, and while Google still hasn’t launched the new Glass, its FCC confidentially period just expired, giving us the pics you see here.

Just as rumors indicated, we have ourselves a folding Google Glass. While most of the pics show the Glass without any frame present, one does reveal how users might actually wear the device, revealing a 2/3-style frame that attaches to the display hinge point.

We still don’t know if this is the next-gen Glass that Google will ultimately sell – whether to business or consumers – but it’s our best look yet at what the company’s been up to as it fine-tunes its wearable game.

Stephen has been writing about electronics since 2008, which only serves to frustrate him that he waited so long to combine his love of gadgets and his degree in writing. In his spare time, he collects console and arcade game hardware, is a motorcycle enthusiast, and enjoys trapping blue crabs. Stephen’s first mobile device was a 624 MHz Dell Axim X30, which he’s convinced is still a viable platform. Stephen longs for a market where phones are sold independently of service, and bandwidth is cheap and plentiful; he’s not holding his breath. In the meantime, he devours smartphone news and tries to sort out the juicy bits